162 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



becoming detached, leaving behind the moist underlying vas- 

 cular tissues. These soon become covered with soil and en- 

 crustations of tissue and serum. Forced removal of these crusts 

 was followed by capillary hemorrhage and the formation of 

 new crusts. A shedding of the crusts frequently occurred as 

 the disease advanced. As a final result, all parts of the soft 

 tissue of the feet were destroyed or modified to such an extent 

 that the toes became bent upward, and the foot deformed so 

 that only the ball of the foot would come in contact with the 

 ground when walking was attempted. In addition to the local 

 lesions, there were symptons indicating a considerable degree 

 of constitutional disturbance. Nutrition seemed at a standstill. 

 Growth was arrested, although there was a disposition to eat 

 and drink. The closing of the eyelids often made it impossible 

 for the chicks to take food or water, even though they were 

 disposed to do so. When the lids were separated the birds 

 usually ate and drank ravenously until they became filled. 



Numerous remedies had been employed for the treatment 

 and prevention of the trouble, but to no avail. The disease 

 made its appearance in each lot of chicks shortly after they 

 were placed in the brooders. 



It was the opinion of the poultryman that the soil contained 

 some poisonous irritating substance that was accountable for 

 the trouble. Why it should appear in brooder chicks and not 

 among those brooded under hens he was not able to explain. 

 To settle this matter a sample of soil was submitted to chemi- 

 cal analysis, but nothing of an irritating or poisonous nature 

 was found. 



The general course and character of the disease seemed to 

 indicate that it was the result of the local action of something. 

 It was suspected that it might be due to the heat from exposure 

 to direct sunlight. Experiments were made upon chicks by the 

 use of a lens to concentrate the sun's rays upon the legs and 

 feet, and it was found possible to produce upon experimental 

 chicks lesions identical with those found upon chicks brought 

 from the yards, even to the extent of producing a slight de- 

 formity of the toes, due to the contraction of the tendons and 

 the cicatricial tissue. An attempt was made to rear feathered- 

 legged varieties of chicks upon the same ground where there 



